The Hidden Shadow
by Lulu C. T
Summary: Kurama's brother had only one thing on his mind...revenge! Now it's kill or be killed for poor Kurama...OneShot.


Kurama sat at the edge of a dock, head in hands. He was a young man with long red hair and emerald green eyes and by the look of it, wise beyond his age. He stared out into the shimmering green blue mass blankly. He shuddered in the warm summer air remembering vividly those dreams…

His brother…And where those dreams had come from he knew not as he had not seen his brother is over 200 years.

Kurama stood stretched and blinked wearily. After all the team of his had gone through they never did break apart. He climbed the fire exit to his rented apartment and nearly fell out at the sight of Yusuke and Keiko sitting there, awaiting him on the couch.

"Erm…" Kurama started but Yusuke had cut him off before he had even said anything, "Where the hell we're you? Keiko was worried about you!"

Keiko pushed him back down on the couch and rolled her eyes, "He means _we've_ been worried about you. You we're always quiet but now you are even more so…"

"What she said."

Keiko smiled slightly and sat down again, "So what had been going on, Kurama?"

"Got yourself a girlfriend- hey! Ow!" Yusuke rubbed his arm, "What was that for?"

"For being an idiot, you moron!"

"You can't use idiot and moron in one sentence!" Yusuke argued, crossing his arms.

"Can too!"

"Cannot!"

"Can!"

"Not!"

"Can!"

Kurama blinked and backed out of the living room and into the kitchen. Hiei was seated on the table. Kurama sat beside him, "What are you doing…?"

"Yusuke dragged me here."

"Anyone else here?"

"No, Kuwabara had a veterinarian appointment of some sort…For his cat." Hiei added at Kurama's amused look.

A crash sounded from the living room. Kurama leapt up and nearly tripped over a fallen Yusuke. Keiko had an annoyed expression and held a heavy lamp in one hand, "He was…being…" Kurama just signed and sank into an armchair, "Anyone want Pizza?"

Next Day in Town

Kurama paced the streets, talking quietly with Yusuke, "It's a queer feeling…like something is coming our way. Something evil and powerful!"

"Relax; we've dealt with everything plus some. Why worry?" Yusuke said carelessly, checking out a new DVD in a store window.

Kurama stopped in his tracks and whirled on Yusuke with anger in his eyes, "I'm being serious! Why don't you try?"

Yusuke blinked, "Calm down Kurama, I was joking around." He turned and muttered a curse under his breath.

Kurama tensed suddenly, as a wave of pain racked his body. He fell to his keens and screamed in pain. Yusuke just stood, frozen to the spot with a numbed expression- the stillness crept everywhere freezing cars, birds and people.

"Brother!"

Kurama sat up, eyes streaming, "Kage?"

"You do remember then…"

With a loud caw a raven landed next to Kurama, fixating twin beady red eyes on him, it's feathers melting away like some toxic poison. A young man followed after.

"Kurama, Kurama, Kurama…" He tutted mockingly, finally reveling himself. He had short spiked hair and red fox ears and tail. He was clad in a shirt that didn't quite cover his stomach and some old jeans, "You have dishonored me and the family."

He ran a finger down Kurama's face, "But that doesn't matter to you, does it?" A fine scratch appeared on Kurama's cheek.

Kurama wiped the blood from his face and murmured, "What do you want, Kage?"

"I want to you to know how very disappointed I am with you!" He narrowed his eyes and tugged at a bandage tied around his wrist, "You we're once a dangerous thief and I though surely you would be reincarnated even stronger then before. How I was surprised when you came back as a human child! How furious father was…"

Kurama cringed as he remembered his fathers temper.

"I was one proud to have you as my brother, but now you are nothing more then the lowest of-!"

Kurama heard no more as he pulled out his weapon and cried, "Rose Whip!" The attack bounced harmlessly away from Kage.

Kage laughed shrilly, "Tsk tsk, big brother. Those nasty little toys won't work in here! It's cheating! If we are to fight, and we are, then we shall do it in our truest form!"

"Youku?"

"No fool! Sprit foxes! That is our truest form, our purest!" He waved one hand and another wave of pain swept over Kurama then…

In Kage's spot stood a jet black fox with gleaming red eyes. Kurama him self was a red hued fox with emerald eyes. Kurama cried out, "What have you done?" and swore softly under his breath.

"I've turned us into spirit foxes, dolt." Kage hissed, smirking, "And the only way to be 'normal' again is if one of us dies! And I intend to kill YOU!" He said this with such malice, such hate that Kurama shivered. He stood, four paws planted to the ground as his head reeled, how could he kill his brother?

Kage gave him no time to think as he leopt and snarled, taking a chunk of flesh from Kurama's shoulder. Kurama let loose a howl of pain as crimson blood poured from the wound.

"The sweet scent of blood!" Kage said, pausing a moment to the savor the smell before leaping back into the fray.

Kurama dropped to his stomach this time and Kage sailed over him, landing lightly on his paws.

"Come now Kurama. You have to be stronger then that!"

Kurama eyes glazed over as he leapt at Kage and slashed out at him raking him with diamond sharp claws. Kage's left ear was left in bloody tatters. Kage flinched and his muzzled pulled back into a twisted snarl.

Kurama wasted no time in darting in and out of Kage's eyesight, creating copies of himself. "FOX FIRE!" He snarled and released a blue fireball at Kage- his clones followed suit.

Kage ducked and dodged the fire until one had hit his tail and set it ablaze. He howled and Kurama smirked this time, "Things getting to hot to handle?"

"Spare me the lame puns!" He spat, the fire now out and leaving the tail smoldering.

"Come now, don't be so sour Kage. It's all in fun!"

"Fun?" Kage said, narrowing ruby eyes, "Is that my old brother speaking?"

"Never brother, would I go back to my old ways!" He breathed softly.

"But brother, don't you get that lust? That blood lust? The lust to kill-to shred- to taste mortal blood? To drink deeply from its soul?"

"Brother, the only blood I want to taste is yours!" He leapt at Kage who was so surprised he stood rooted to the spot. Kurama bit deeply into Kage's throat and clung there. He winced and growled as Kage's claws scratched and tore at his underbelly and chest- then it was over. Kage went limp…stone dead.

Kurama murmured something, "Now your soul shall forever be imprisoned in hell…"

Slowly the stillness left and Kurama's pain redoubled as he dissolved back into human form. He fell to his side and lay there, bleeding profusely. A wave of pain over took him and he gave way to darkness.

Sometime later…

"Kurama! Please wake up, Kurama!" Keiko sobbed brokenly, inspecting his gruesome wounds and checking for a pulse. Many scratched lined his face and along gash from his chest to his stomach was bleeding heavily.

"Is he alive?"

"Barley." A voice answered, floating above them. Yusuke jumped up and cried, "BOTON?"

"Yes, me silly! Now get out of the way so I can heal him!" She raised her hands over Kurama and a blue light enveloped him. "Wakey wakey!" She muttered, prodding him softly in the side.

"Ugh…" Kurama's eyes opened slowly and he sat up wincing. Boton sighed, "There…no outside marks, but it will be sore for a few weeks." She rose up and floated higher into the air, "Well, I've followed orders so now I must go…toodles!"

Yusuke swore and sat down next to Kurama, "So what happened?"

Kurama wiped a few tears from his eyes and smiled weakly, "I suppose I owe you two an explanation."


End file.
